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Music Biz 2024: Why SESAC’s John Josephson Thinks the PRO Can ‘Double or Triple’ Its Market Share

SESAC's John Josephson talks competitors like BMI, recent acquisitions and Blackstone's impact on growth during an interview at Music Biz 2024.

NASHVILLE — In a keynote interview on the last day of the Music Business Association annual conference, SESAC CEO John Josephson easily sidestepped an early question on what he thought about the seemingly hip-hop-like feud that had recently evolved between ASCAP and BMI, over the latter’s decision to switch to a for-profit model and its subsequent acquisition by a private equity firm. In focusing on SESAC’s future, Josephson said that the company has an infrastructure that serves as an intermediary between rights holders and businesses that want to exploit music and it has been looking for ways to leverage that capability. He conceded that licensing to that segment is not without challenges, noting that churches tend to operate on a non-profit business and may expect to pay lower rates, “even though they are multi-million dollar commercial enterprises.”

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